Shilparamam

Shilparamam is an arts and crafts village located in Madhapur, Hyderabad, Andhra Pradesh, India.

The village was conceived with an idea to create an environment for the preservation of traditional crafts. There are ethnic festivals round the year.

Shilparamam, a crafts village, conceived in the year 1992, is situated just about few kilometers from Hyderabad city. Sprawling over 65 acres (260,000 m²) of land in the hi-tech hub city of India, Shilparamam gives a scenic ambience of tradition and cultural heritage. For promotion and preservation of Indian arts and crafts and to motivate the artisans, the state government established this platform.

Enchanting the blend of arts and artifact, epitomizing the true legacy with the diverse natural beauty of rural India; Shilparamam is tribute to Andhra Pradesh. Exhibiting the rustic richness and creativity of Hyderabad, it has captivated the imagination of visitors.

The lush and serene environment of Shilparamam is sculpted with woodwork, jewellery, cloths and local crafts of each region of the country. Showcasing a plethora of artistic ethos, Shilparamam is set amidst gardens, cascading waterfalls and natural rock heights.Shilparamam, located at Madhapur village showcasing the various art forms and handicrafts of various artists from all over the country. Birla Planetarium is situated on a hill near the Birla Temple and offers educational shows as well offers a fine view of the city. 

Visiting hours - 10:30 AM to 8:00 PM

Entry ticket fee - for Adults INR 40 , for Children INR 20

Parking
Cellar Parking available
For 4 wheelers Rs 20 for first 3 hrs, Rs 10 per hr or part thereof.
For 2 wheelers Rs 10 for first 3 hrs, Rs 5 per hr or part thereof.

The Rural Museum

The rural museum, surrounded by trees, is a miniature depiction of typical Indian village. Over 15 life-sized huts, authentically constructed out of baked clay and thatch, depict rural and tribal lifestyles and the life of various artisans. It provides a window to rural life for city dwellers and those who have never visited a village before. The museum houses sculptures and life size models depicting the day-to-day activities of the rural artisans.

The Rock Museum

Shantiniketan's Subroto Basu has fashioned a rock garden here by blending his own rock collections with the natural and picturesque rock formations found in the village. The natural formations stand unswayed in a scenic form in Rock Museum. This Rock Museum adds a fantastic ecological side to Shilparamam.

The Recreational Area

Towards the entrance of Shilparamam there is a lush green lawn with beautiful landscaping surrounded by ethnic motifs and terracotta sculptures.

Shopping

Shilparamam has hundreds of stalls. There are wide range of handicrafts available for shopping, right from toys to carpets. Here visitors can buy hand made sarees and textiles of different states. Textiles ranging from Tangail, Sambhalpur, Paithni, Kashmiri to Kanjeevaram, Dharmavaram, Tanjavur, Madurai, Peddapuram, Bandar, Guntur and other sarees. It also has salwaar kamiz, ghagras, kurta, carpets, etc. Here a special Artisan Bazar is also there providing the original art forms directly from the makers.

Paigah Tombs

Paigah Tombs or Maqhbara Shums Ul Umra,are the tombs belonging to the nobility of the Paigah or the Shums ul Umrahi family. They are located in Hyderabad, India, at Pisal banda suburb.

This style of architecture is unique to the Paigah tombs

Paigah tombs in Hyderabad are located at Santoshnagar, 10 kilometers from the city center. The tomb is a wonderful piece of architecture. It has got marvelous carvings of marble.The Paigah tombs of Hyderabad are basically the tombs of the Paigah noble family and are constructed according to the generations. The Paigah noble family enjoyed a close intimacy with the the Nizams. They thereby used to have a conspicuous position in the society

The Paigah tombs of Hyderabad are basically the tombs of the Paigah noble family and are constructed according to the generations. The Paigah noble family enjoyed a close intimacy with the the Nizams. They thereby used to have a conspicuous position in the society. They were entrusted with the responsibility of vigilance, security as well as of the defense of the state. Among the Paigah nobles the notable ones whose tombs have been constructed here are:

• Asman Jah
• Viqar-ul-Umara and
• Shams-ul-Umara

Paigah tombs of Hyderabad will take you to the old days when Abdul Fateh Khan Tegh Jung established the Paigah nobility. He used to render service to the second Nizam, who was on the throne between 1760 and 1803. The Nizam honored him with the title of Shams-ul-Umra, that is "the Sun among the masses" which was of great prestige.

Tegh Jung was buried in 1786 at the complex of the Paigah tombs. You will find an iron plaque at the main entry point of the complex which reveals the Paigah heritage.

The Paigahs, apart from being efficient administrators were nevertheless great patrons of fine arts, literature and sports. The other contemporary rulers as well as the ordinary people had a tremendous love and respect for the Paigahs.

The Paigah tombs at Hyderabad are wonderful pieces of extraordinary craftsmanship that is evident from the beautifully laid mosaic works. The people over here takes pride that the geometrical patterns followed in the designing of these exquisite tombs are unique and not seen anywhere else in the world.

You can reach the Paigah tombs simply by the local transport within the Hyderabad city.The tombs were constructed in the year 1787's by Nawab Taig Jung Bahadur and Later by his son Amir e Kabir I( In the 1880s some additions were made by Sir Asman Jah,Sir Khurshid Jah And Sir Vikar Ul Umra).the tombs of several generations of the Paigah nobles include Abul Fatah Khan Shums ul Umra I to shums ul Umra v, Sir Asman Jah, Sir Khursheed Jah, Sir Vicar-ul-Umra, Sultan ul Mulk, Lady Vicar ul Umra, Lady Khurshid Jah, Lady Asman Jah, Moin ud Dowla, Zaheer yar Jung and other members of the Paigah Family.The tombs are magnificent structures, decorated in stucco work, and represent the Moghal,Greek,Persian, Asaf Jahi, Rajasthani and Deccani style of architecture.

 The geometrical designs in the Paigah Tombs are unique and are perforated with screens with great craftsmanship. Which has been constructed by Amir e kabir I (Details of which are available in the diary of the Viceroy and the letter written by the then Resident J.C Bayley to Nawab Salar Jung the then prime minister Informing him about important details regarding tombs on 10 March 1882 after the death of the Co Regent and Amir E Kabir III Nawab Rashid uddin Khan Bahadur informing Sir Salar Jung that all the three Amirs wanted to perform the Urs of their Grand Father and Great Grand Father on the same day,he advised The Prime minister to see to it that all three Paigahs perform the Urs ceremony at the same time to maintain protocol and to avoid a situation in which who would perform first could be discussed)Nawab Sir Asman Jah Bahadur, Sir Khurshid Jah and Sir Vikar Ul Umra later made some additions which included the chowkhandis of marble added by Sir Khurshid Jah (this was taken up when Sir Khurshid Jah ordered 18 Chowkhandis over the shrines of Important holy saints all over India.

The last addition was made by Lady Vikar ul Umra for herself and her son Nawab Sultan ul Mulk Bahadur Beside the tomb of Amir e Kabir III Nawab Rashid uddin Khan Bahadur.It is in Hyderabad

FALAKNUMA PALACE

Falaknuma Palace is one of the finest palaces in Hyderabad, Andhra Pradesh, India. It belonged to Paigah Hyderabad State, and it was later owned by the Nizams. It is on a 32-acre (13 ha) area in Falaknuma, 5 km from Charminar. It was built by Nawab Vikar-ul-Umra, prime minister of Hyderabad and the uncle and brother-in-law of the Nizam VI, Nawab Mir Mahboob Ali Khan Bahadur. Falak-numa means "Like the Sky" or "Mirror of the Sky" in Urdu.

One of the finest palaces existing in the historically rich city of Hyderabad, Falaknuma Palace is situated in Falaknuma, 5 kilometers from Charminar. It was built by Nawab Vikar-ul-Ulmara, the then Prime Minister of Hyderabad.

An Italian architect planned this palace and its foundation was laid in 1884. The entire process of construction took 9 years. Mainly comprising Italian marble, Falaknuma Palace occupies a total floor area of 9,39,712 square meters. It was purchased by Nizam VI in 1897 and functioned as a royal guest house.

Falaknuma Palace contains a vast collection of rare treasures compiled by the Nizam comprising paintings, statues, furniture, manuscripts and books. The Jade collection of the Falaknuma Palace is opined to be unique.

The state reception room possesses an eye catching ceiling, tastefully adorned by frescoes and gilded relief.

The ballroom contains a two-ton manually operated organ, possibly the only one of its kind in the world. Besides, there are 220 richly decorated rooms and 22 vast halls.

The famed table in the dining hall of Falaknuma Palace accommodates 100 guests at one go. The carved rosewood chairs have green leather upholstery. The tableware is made of gold and crystal. 

The balustrade of the marble stairway to the upper floor has carved balustrades flaunting marble figures interspersed with candelabra. The landing walls showcase quality oil paintings of the Asaf Jahi family and notable dignitaries forming a historical picture gallery. This enhances the majesty of the staircase.

Falaknuma Palace is a distinguished landmark in Hyderabad.

An English architect designed this palace. The foundation for the construction was laid by Sir Vicar on March 3, 1884. He was the great grandson of Khuddus, a scientist who was a friend of Sir Charles Darwin. It took nine years to complete the construction and furnish the palace. Sir Vicar moved into the Gol Bangla and Zanana Mahel of the Falaknuma Palace in December 1889 and closely monitored the finishing work at the Mardana portion. It is made completely with Italian marble and covers an area of 93,971 square meters.

The palace was built in the shape of a scorpion with two stings spread out as wings in the north. The middle part is occupied by the main building and the kitchen, Gol Bangla, Zenana Mehal, and harem quarters stretch to the south. The Nawab was an avid traveler, and his influences show in the architecture.

The Falaknuma palace is a rare blend of Italian and Tudor architecture. Its stained glass windows throw a spectrum of colour into the rooms.Sir Vicar (prime minister of Hyderabad and Berar) used the palace as his private residence until it changed owners and the palace was handed over to the 6th Nizam of Hyderabad around 1897-1898. Sir Vicar, besides being the prime minister of Hyderabad, was also the Amir of Paigah and was the maternal grandson of the Nizam III Nawab Sikandar Jah Bahadur. He was married to Nizam VI Nawab Mir Mahboob Ali Khan's older sister Princess Jahandarunnisa Begam Sahiba, also known as Lady Viqar ul Umra. (The monogramme VO for Viqar ul Omra is seen on every part and the furniture of the palace.)

The Falaknuma Palace was so costly to build that even Sir Viqar Ul Umra had to borrow money to complete it and realized that he had gone beyond his means. His very intelligent wife, Lady Viqar ul Umra, thought up a solution and advised her husband to invite Mehboob Ali Pasha Nizam VI to the palace. As anticipated, the Nizam liked the palace so much that he extended his stay and this prompted Sir Viqar to offer that if his sovereign liked the palace he would be honoured to give it to him. The Nizam liked the gesture but, being the grand man he was, he had his treasurer send the entire amount spent on the palace to Sir Viqar, thus easing his paigah noble from a financial crunch. The Nizam VI in 1897 used the palace as a royal guest house as it had a commanding view of the entire city.

The Falaknuma fell silent after the 1950s when the Nizam moved out. The last guest was the first president of India, Rajendra Prasad, in 1951. The palace was mostly kept closed since then and underwent a huge restoration after it was given on a 30 year lease deal to the taj hotels by the Nizam prince mukkaram jah bahudur shahed in 2000, which entitled the nizam to 50% of the profits or a minimum of 25 lakhs Rs per month. The responsibility of the restoration to its original grandeur was led by princess asra jah, the first wife of the VII nizam, who also built a small palace for her personal use, which was completed in 2012 near the old building.

Piecing together Falaknuma’s past glory was perhaps the biggest challenge of the restoration. These came with other challenges like retaining the eclectic blend of Renaissance architecture, Baroque style, French charm, art deco sensibilities and other inspirations that were woven into the décor of the palace — yet retaining its true-blue Nizam flavour. The restoration was extensive — sourcing the perfect upholstery to redo the sofas and chairs, choosing fresh drapes to match the taste of the Nizams, polishing the marble, repairing damaged pieces, recreating broken structures, and blending in new wings and spaces for more rooms, extra landscape, and additional restaurants.

One of the highlights of the palace is the state reception room, whose ceiling is decorated with frescoes and gilded reliefs. The ballroom contains a two-ton manually operated organ said to be the only one of its kind in the world.

The palace has 220 lavishly decorated rooms and 22 spacious halls. It has some of the finest treasure collections of the Nizam. Falaknuma houses a large collection of rare treasures including paintings, statues, furniture, manuscripts and books.

The famed dining hall could seat 100 guests at its table. The chairs were made of carved rosewood with green leather upholstery. The tableware was made of gold and crystal to which fluted music was added. The length of the table is 108 feet, and breadth is 5.7 feet and height is 2.7 feet.The jade collection of the palace is considered to be unique in the world.

The palace has a library with a walnut carved roof: a replica of the one at Windsor Castle. The library had one of the finest collections of the Quran in India.

The ground floor of the palace housed the living quarters. A marbled staircase leads to the upper floor. It has carved balustrades, which supports marble figurines with candelabra at intervals.

There is a billiards room. Burroughs and Watts from England designed two identical tables, one of which is in Buckingham Palace and the other in the Falaknuma palace.

On the walls of the landing are many oil paintings and photographs of notable personages.

The Falaknuma Palace also has the largest collection of Venetian chandeliers, with 40 138-arm Osler chandeliers in the halls.

The telephone and electrical system was introduced in 1883 by Osler[disambiguation needed] and the palace has one of the largest electrical switchboards in India.

The palace was the private property of the Nizam family, and not normally open to the public, until 2000.

Ramoji Film City

The Ramoji Film City  in India is situated near Hayathnagar in Hyderabad, Andhra Pradesh. At 1666 acres, It is the largest integrated film city in the world.

It is also a popular tourism and recreation centre, containing both natural and artificial attractions including an amusement park. The Outer Ring Road Phase 2 has acquired lands at the entrance and is set to intersect the city

The sprawling 2000-acre Ramoji Film City, set up by Ramoji Group in 1996, is the land of million dreams, where comprehensive and world-class filmmaking facilities await dream merchants for a celluloid journey. Certified by the Guinness World Records as the world’s largest film studio complex,at Ramoji Film City a filmmaker can walk with a script and walk out with film. The massive dreamscape vibrant with flamboyant locales, picturesque avenues, make-believe sets and outstanding film-making infrastructure make it as filmmakers’ paradise.

Numerous films in Hindi, Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam, Kannada, Gujarati, Bengali, Oriya, Bhojpuri, English and several TV commercials and serials are produced here every year.http://www.guinnessworldrecords.com/world-records/1/largest-film-studio

Indian film producer Ramoji Rao, head of Ramoji Group, opened the facility in 1996. The creation of the Ramoji Film City was an outcome of the Group's association with Indian cinema through Usha Kiran Movies. This dedicated film production house, has produced over 80 films in several languages such as Telugu, Hindi, Tamil, Malayalam, Kannada,Marathi, Bengali and international film industries

The sprawling 2000-acre Ramoji Film City, set up by Ramoji Group in 1996, is the land of million dreams, where comprehensive and world-class filmmaking facilities await dream merchants for a celluloid journey. Certified by the Guinness World Records as the world’s largest film studio complex, at Ramoji Film City a filmmaker can walk with a script and walk out with film. The massive dreamscape vibrant with flamboyant locales, picturesque avenues, make-believe sets and outstanding film-making infrastructure make it as filmmakers’ paradise.

Numerous films in Hindi, Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam, Kannada, Gujarati, Bengali, Oriya, Bhojpuri, English and several TV commercials and serials are produced here every year.http://www.guinnessworldrecords.com/world-records/1/largest-film-studioIndian film producer Ramoji Rao, head of Ramoji Group, opened the facility in 1996. The creation of the Ramoji Film City was an outcome of the Group's association with Indian cinema through Usha Kiran Movies. This dedicated film production house, has produced over 80 films in several languages such as Telugu, Hindi, Tamil, Malayalam, Kannada,Marathi, Bengali and international film industries

Ramoji Film City is the world’s largest integrated film studio and Asia’s most popular tourism spot in Hyderabad, Andhra Pradesh, India. Ramoji Film City is spread at over 2,000 acres of lands and it includes amusement parks, recreation centers, film sets and contains both natural and artificial attractions. Ramoji Film City is located just 25 km drive towards South-East of the Hyderabad city, near the under construction outer ring road, it has the entrance of this privately held company. The Ramoji Film city has been declared as the world’s largest film studio by Guinness World Records.

Ramoji Rao the film producer is the head of Ramoji Group who is the founder of Ramoji Film City. In 1996 RFC opened for people with the collaboration of Indian Cinema through Usha Kiran Movies. Ramoji Film City is one stop solution for film makers which provides then with comprehensive infrastructures and more than 500 different sets locations. With infrastructures including custom-designed locations, mock-ups, set constructions, costumes, shooting stages, locations, cameras, equipments, sound mixing, audio post productions and film processing. Every year over a million of tourists all across the globe and especially from India. The film city also includes 3 star hotel Tara and a 5 star hotel Sitara for film production units and also open for the tourists.The places for tourists and locations for films includes Hawa Mahal which is a miniature of Golconda Fort, Japanese garden, artificial waterfalls, wild west live show, comedy shows, circus shows, carved caves, artificial airport terminals, artificial railway terminals, hospital sets, churches, temples and mosques, shopping plazas, US and European sets. There are also welcome ceremony and send off ceremony held daily which is must watch.

Ramoji Film City is a well planned and established tourism place known for its distinguished diverse places.

The Nizam's Museum

Nizam Museum or H.E.H Nizam's Museum is a museum located in Hyderabad at Purani Haveli, a palace of the erstwhile Nizams.This museum showcases the gifts that the last Nizam of Hyderabad state, Osman Ali Khan, Asaf Jah VII received on his silver jubilee celebrations.The museum is a repository mainly of souvenirs, gifts and mementos presented by dignitaries to the last Nizam gifts and mementos presented to the last Nizam on the occasion of the silver jubilee celebrations in 1936. Models made ofsilver of all the landmark buildings in Hyderabad, and citations in Urdu about H.E.H. Mir Osman Ali Khan.

A golden, wooden throne used for the silver jubilee celebrations of the Last Nizam, a gold tiffin box inlaid with diamonds, miniature repilica of the Jubilee Hall, glass inlay painting of Mir Osman Ali Khan. Also, a wooden writing box studded with mother-of-pearl, diamond and gold-studded daggers, caskets, and silver ittardans (perfume containers) presented by the raja of palvancha. silver coffee cups studded with diamonds and silver filigree elephant with mahoutare on display.

A 1930 Rolls Royce, Packard and a Jaguar Mark V are among the vintage cars on display.

The museum also features the wardrobe of the sixth nizam, a 150-year-old manually operated lift, and 200-year-oldproclamation drums.

The museum was opened on February 18, 2000 by the Nizam Trust to the general public.The museum is a repository mainly of souvenirs, gifts and mementos presented by dignitaries to the last Nizam gifts and mementos presented to the last Nizam on the occasion of the silver jubilee celebrations in 1936. Models made ofsilver of all the landmark buildings in Hyderabad, and citations in Urdu about H.E.H. Mir Osman Ali Khan.

A golden, wooden throne used for the silver jubilee celebrations of the Last Nizam, a gold tiffin box inlaid with diamonds, miniature repilica of the Jubilee Hall, glass inlay painting of Mir Osman Ali Khan. Also, a wooden writing box studded with mother-of-pearl, diamond and gold-studded daggers, caskets, and silver ittardans (perfume containers) presented by the raja of palvancha. silver coffee cups studded with diamonds and silver filigree elephant with mahoutare on display.

A 1930 Rolls Royce, Packard and a Jaguar Mark V are among the vintage cars on display.

The museum also features the wardrobe of the sixth nizam, a 150-year-old manually operated lift, and 200-year-oldproclamation drums.

The museum was opened on February 18, 2000 by the Nizam Trust to the general public.

The Nizam’s Museum is located in Hyderabad at Purani Haveli, a palace of the Nizams. It houses a collection of the memorabilia, mementos and gifts presented to the last Nizam on the occasion of the Silver Jubilee Celebration.The collection consists of the gold burnished throne used during the Silver Jubilee in 1937, gold model of the Jubilee Pavilion, a golden Tiffin box studded with precious stones and an excellent filigree of a mahout atop an elephant.

The museum was dedicated to the seventh and last Nizam of Hyderabad, the late Nizam Mir Osman Ali Khan. The museum also has exotic and varied collection of souvenirs, mementos, and models of vintage cars that was gifted to Mir Osman Ali Khan on the Silver Jubilee of his glorious reign.

HYDERABAD

Qutb Shahi Tombs

The tombs of the Qutb Shahi kings are the oldest historical monuments in Hyderabad. The uniqueness lies in the fact that this is a graveyard where an entire dynasty has been buried at one place. Located close to the Golconda Fort, the tombs, built of gray Granite with with stucco ornamentation, reflect a unique blending of Persian, Pathan and Hindu architectural styles.The tombs of the seven Qutub Shahi rulers in the Ibrahim Bagh (garden precinct) are located close to the famous Golkonda Fort in Hyderabad, India. The galleries of the smaller tombs are of a single storey while the larger ones are two storied. In the centre of each tomb is a sarcophagus which overlies the actual burial vault in a crypt below. The domes were originally overlaid with blue and green tiles, of which only a few pieces now remain.The tombs form a large cluster and stand on a raised platform. The tombs are domed structures built on a square base surrounded by pointed arches, a distinctive style that blends Persian, Pashtun and Hindu forms. The tombs are structures with intricately carved stonework and are surrounded by landscaped gardens.

The tombs were once furnished with carpets, chandeliers and velvet canopies on silver poles. Copies of the Quran were kept on pedestals and readers recited verses from the holy book at regular intervals. Golden spires were fitted over the tombs of the sultans to distinguish their tombs from those of other members of the royal family.During the Qutub Shahi period, these tombs were held in great veneration. But after their reign, the tombs were neglected until Sir Salar Jung III ordered their restoration in the early 19th century. A garden was laid out, and a compound wall was built. Once again, the tomb-garden of the Qutub Shahi family became a place of serene beauty. All except the last of the Qutub Shahi sultans lie buried here.

Sultan Quli Qutub ul Mulk's tomb, the style of which sets the example for the tombs of his descendants, is on an elevated terrace measuring 30 meters in each direction. The tomb chamber proper is octagonal, with each side measuring around 10 meters. The entire structure is crowned by a circular dome. There are three graves in this tomb chamber and twenty-one laid out on the surrounding terrace, all of which lack inscription except for the main tomb. The inscription on Sultan Quli's tomb is in three bands, in the Naskh and Tauq scripts. The inscription refers to Sultan Quli as Bade Malik (Great Master) — the endearing term by which all people of the Deccan used for him. The tomb was built in 1543 A.D. by the Sultan, during his lifetime, as was the custom.

Near the tomb of Sultan Quli is that of his son, Jamsheed, the second in the line of Qutub Shahi sultans. Built in 1550 A.D., this is the only Qutub Shahi tomb which has not been fashioned from shining black basalt. Its appearance, too, is quite unlike the other tombs in the garden — it rises gracefully in two stories, unlike the squat tombs of the other kings. Jamsheed Quli Qutub Shah's is the only tomb of a Qutub Shahi ruler without any inscriptions; of course, Jamsheed's son, Subhan's tomb also does not have any inscriptions. Subhan Quli Qutub Shah ruled for a short time. Subhan's tomb stands mid-way between the tombs of his father and grandfather. He was popularly called Chhote Malik (Small Master).

Sultan Ibrahim Quli Qutub Shah's tomb, built in 1580, after his death, is slightly larger than Sultan Quli's tomb. Traces of the enameled tiles, which once adorned this mausoleum, can still be seen on the southern wall. The tomb has two graves in the main chamber and 16 on the terrace; some of them probably are those of his six sons and three daughters. There are inscriptions in the Thulth script on all faces of the sarcophagus. The three famous calligraphists — Isphalan, Ismail and Taqiuddin Muhammad Salih — who left a store of Naskh, Tulth and Nastaliq inscriptions on the many Qutub Shahi edifices in the city, were contemporaries of Ibrahim Shah.

Sultan Muhammed Quli Qutub Shah's mausoleum is considered the grandest of the Qutub Shahi tombs. Built in 1602 A.D., the tomb is on a terrace of 65m square and 4m high. A flight of steps leads to the mausoleum proper, which is 22 m square on the outside and 11 m square on the inside. There are entrances on the southern and eastern sides. The tomb is in a vault below the terrace. Inscriptions in Persian and the Naskh scripts decorate it.

Another grand mausoleum is that of the sixth sultan, Muhammed Qutub Shah. The facade of this tomb was once decorated with enameled tiles; only traces are now evident. There are six graves nd inscriptions in Tulth and Naskh. The mausoleum was built in 1626. Sultan Abdullah Qutub Shah's tomb is the last of the royal tombs, as Abul Hasan Qutub Shah (Tana Shah), the last Qutub Shahi Sultan, was a prisoner in the fortress of Daulatabad, near Aurangabad, when he died. While the tombs of those who ruled dominate the area, interspersed are many other monuments, most of them tombs of other members of the royal family.The tomb of Fatima Sultan, with its bulbous dome, is near the entrance to the tomb-garden. Fatima was the sister of Muhammed Qutub Shah. Her tomb houses several graves, two with inscriptions. Immediately to the south of Muhammed Quli's tomb are three uninscribed tombs. There are the mausoleums of Kulthoom, Muhammed Qutub Shahi’s granddaughter born of the son of the sultan's favourite wife Khurshid Bibi, her (Kulthoom's) husband and daughter. Kulthoom's tomb is on the west of this cluster.

The mausoleum which Abdul Hasan, the last Qutub Shahi Sultan, began building for himself, actually houses the grave of Mir Ahmed, the son of Sultan Abdullah's son-in-law and the sister of Abbas II Safair, the Shah of Persia. The tomb of Fadma Khanum, one of Sultan Abdullah's daughters, stands near the mausoleum of her husband, Mir Ahmed. Hers is the only Qutub Shahi tomb not surmounted by a dome.The twin-tombs of the two favourite hakims (physicians) of Sultan Abdullah — Nizamuddin Ahmed Gilani and Abdul Jabbar Gilani — were built in 1651. They are among the few Qutub Shahi tombs that are not of royalty. Another pair are those of Premamati and Taramati, the favourite courtesans of Sultan Abdullah Shah, were laid to rest beside his tomb. One other tomb which is not that of a Qutub Shahi family member is that of Neknam Khan. Neknam Khan, who served in Abdullah's army, was the commander-in-chief of the Carnatic. His tomb is on a platform outside the mausoleum of Ibrahim Qutub Shah. It was built in 1672, two years after Nekam Khan's death.

To the west of the tombs lies the dargah of Hazrat Hussain Shah Wali, the revered Sufi saint. He is most affectionately remembered by people as the builder of Hussain Sagar in 1562. Among other monuments in the garden that are not tombs, the most important are the mortuary bath and the Masjid of Hayat Bakshi Begum.

The mortuary bath, which stands opposite the tomb of Muhammad Quli, was built by Sultan Quli to facilitate the ritual washing of the bodies of the dead kings and others of the royal family before they were carried to their final resting place. The practice followed was to bring the body out of the fort, through the Banjara Gate, to this bath, before carrying it away for burial with the ritualistic pomp that was required to mark the occasion. A large number of people, fond subjects, friends and relatives attended. The bath is one of the finest existing specimens of ancient Persian or Turkish baths.

The Qutub Shahis built a number of masjids all over Golkonda and Hyderabad, and almost every tomb has a masjid adjacent. The biggest and the grandest such masjid is by the mausoleum of Hayat Bakshi Begum. Popularly known as the great masjid of the Golkonda tombs, it was built in 1666 A.D. Fifteen cupolas decorate the roof and the prayer-hall is flanked by two lofty minarets. The impression, as a whole, is one of majesty and splendour. The inscriptions in the masjid are in calligraphic art.

Hayat Bakshi Begum was the daughter of Muhammed Quli Qutub Shah, the fifth sultan, the wife of Sultan Muhammed Qutub Shah, the sixth sultan and the mother of Abdullah Qutub Shah, the seventh sultan. She was affectionately known as "Ma Saheba" (Revered Mother). The tomb-garden of the sultans of Golkonda was known as Lagar-e-Faiz Athar (a place for bountiful entertainment) in the days of the Qutub Shahi rulers, for some item or song or dance or even an occasional play was staged here every evening, free of cost, to entertain the poor.

CHARKAMAN

Charkaman is a historical structure in Hyderabad, India. It is located near Charminar. After the completion of Charminar, at about 75m feet to its north, four lofty arches known as Charkaman was built in 1592. The Kaman which is one among the four such structures which are part of the Charminar. The other three are Machli Kaman, Kali Kaman and Sher-e-Batil-Ki-Kaman.Charkaman is notified as a heritage structure by INTACHChar Kaman refers to four different arcs made in the city of Hyderabad by Mir Momin. 

These arcs are situated at few meters at the four different roads of the city which intersects at a place where a blue colored fountain is situated. The arc to the North of the fountain is named as Machli Kaman, to the South of the fountain is called Charminar Kaman, to the East of the fountain is called Kali Kaman and the one to the West of the fountain is named as Kaman Sher Dil. After the completion of Charminar, about 250 feet to its north, the great piazza of four lofty arches known as Char Kaman was built in 1592, in perfect symmetrical scale.

 These arches are separated from their centre by 375 feet and the space between two arches facing each other is 750 feet. Each of them is 60 feet high, 36 feet wide at the base and six feet in thickness. They are so impressive that a huge caparisoned elephant carrying a canopy could easily pass through them. The effort that might have gone into their building was very impressive. The Char Kaman and the Charminar formed part of a “conscious urban design scheme of the Qutub Shahis. One cannot be separated from the other”.

The four such structures which are part of the Charminar are called char Kaman. The four Kaman’s are Charminar Kaman, Machli Kaman, Kali Kaman and Sher-e-Batil-Ki-Kaman. Each Kaman had a different name and at least two of them had folk tales to narrate.

The northern arch is the first one after crossing Madina café known as the Machli Kaman or the “arch with a fish”.

The southern one, facing Charminar is the Charminar Kaman.

The western arch was the grandest, most significant and has an interesting legend attached to it called as “Kaman-e-Sehar-Batil” (the arch of the magic breaker) now connected to Kaman Sher-e-Batil and Mitti-Ka-Sher.

The eastern arch is the Kali Kaman from where royal musicians, played the shehanai and drums, five times a day, or heralded the arrival of important visitors on special occasions.